Ocean Adult Armin x Reader Chapter 1
by HeichouHatesYou
Summary: Adult reader and adult Armin become stranded beyond the Walls
1. Chapter 1

Ocean

The stench of blood hung heavy in the air. It clung to your uniform, coating your throat with its sickly scent. Death, you discovered, carried its own perfume.

This was all wrong. This area outside the walls was a designated safe zone! Extra walls had been constructed specifically for training new recruits! The Survey Corps had retaken land beyond the Walls on their 62nd expedition. This mini wall, called Wall Nua, encircled nearly fifty miles of Titan-free land, just outside of Shiganshina. A small portion was covered by forest, making it ideal for training in rough terrain.

Pulling yourself to your feet, you surveyed the chaos around you. The remnants of your class were scattered around you.

You recognised each and every one of the bodies. Your students. As their combat trainer, you knew that some wouldn't make it. However, nothing ever prepares you for the loss of lives as young as these.

Theo. Callie. Senan. Ferdi. Fabian. Lydia. Tarja. Anya. Karl. Amalia. All lost.

Guilt pulled at you, twisting you in every direction. You knew it couldn't be helped. But every year, it got harder to train the new recruits. The fear you originally felt slowly turned to dread over the years. How can they keep doing their duty, knowing you had failed countless others before them?

You yourself had surpassed the ranks, becoming one of the youngest trainers in history. No-one had ever been a fully qualified combat trainer at age 22. It was unheard of. There was only one other person who had ascended the ranks as fast and he was a bonafide genius.

Adjusting your gear, you quietly glided upwards, to seek refuge in the branches of a large tree. A wounded horse screamed nearby. Heavy footsteps ran towards it. The scream cut off as the horse was crushed underfoot.

Amalia's body lay beneath you, twisted and deformed. Her fine white hair was dyed a rusty red. Her bottom half was gone. You forced yourself to look away, trying to forge that the young girl had just celebrated her 15th birthday only yesterday.

"H-Hey, there you are!" A voice called out to you. You turned your head, spotting a young man zipping towards you.

"Armin! My god, you're ok! What the fuck happened?! Where are your students?"

Armin Arlert landed heavily beside you. His golden hair fell past his shoulders, strands coming loose from his neat ponytail. His azure eyes were filled with determination. As a recruit, your old classmate had borne years of torment and taunting. He believed himself to be a burden, a scrawny weakling and nothing more.

As he matured, his body filled out. His shoulders grew broad and strong, his legs became sure and steady. His voice grew deep and rich as his hair finally decided to grow out of his trademark bowl haircut.

However much he had changed physically, his mind was the real gem. He excelled in every exam, impressing Commander Pyxis, motivating him to take the young man under his wing. Because of his belief in Armin, the handsome blonde was now the lead Tactician. If an expedition was to be planned, it was Armin who arranged it. If new requirements came up for improving the 3DM Gear, it was Armin who sat up tweaking designs here and there.

He stood before you, blood splattered across his white shirt, staining it with gore. "I wasn't sure it was you from so far away. Are you alright?"

"I'm alright Armin. But my class…I can't see anyone alive. Where did the Titans come from?"

Armin's brow wrinkled into a frown. "I don't know. I know there were only two, and they seemed to be 7 metre class, but fast! They were so fast! How did a simple training exercise turn into this?"

A loud bellow could be heard from within the forest, scring the remaining birds from the trees. Crouching down, you pulled Armin down with you, taking cover in the tree's thick leafy branches. His body was heavy. You could smell him, his sweat and anger. Waiting for the harsh noise to stop, you both closed your eyes tightly, lying flat on the massive branch.

All became silent once more. You looked up to find Armin smirking at you, his eyes twinkling. "It's amazing, so many years have passed and yet here you are, still trying to save me. You're like a little mother."

"Shut up Arlert. How can you not be affected by this? Those students, what were you bringing them out for? We are…were…practising assisted kills with our gear."

"I'm sorry. Of course I'm affected. I try not to show it as much or I wouldn't be able to control my class. Maybe Levi's attitude rubbed off on me too much as a cadet. I only had my top four students with me today. We were testing an experimental gas cylinder I came up with. It's supposed to use less in shorter bursts. You get all the speed but use half the amount you'd normally use. It could prove invaluable." Looking down on you, he smiled again, a light blush danced upon his cheeks.

Feeling awkward and eventually realising he was still lying on top of you, you shoved him off. He helped you to your feet and brushed himself down. "OK, so what are our options? We can return to the city and warn them there is a breach somewhere. We can try and find the Titans and take them down. Or we could wait here and hope reinforcements come soon."

Your face grew pale with horror as you grabbed Armin's sleeve. "Oh no, Armin…the new recruits…their solo mission training is today! They'll be alone! Shit, we can't expect a bunch of kids to handle this! We have to find the big bastards and cut them down. How are you for gas? I'm nearly out."

His eyes narrowed as he checked his cylinders. "I'm ok, this prototype seems to be holding up well. We'll just take it slow, slingshot from branch to branch, conserve your gas. Unless we can find where my other prototypes were scattered, we just have to be very careful."

Nodding, you readjust your gear and soar from the tree, following the trails of blood and chunks of flesh that were once living, laughing, loving people.

"There, look, there's one." The monstrosity was covered in a mass of gore. Human hair stuck to the lips, peeled back to reveal crooked yellow tombstone teeth. You could have sworn you saw shreds of a cadet's jacket in the teeth. "I'll take this one, you go easy on your gas. Worst comes to worst, grab mine and head for the Wall."


	2. Chapter 2

Before you could protest, he was gone, his wires screaming. His body was incredibly graceful as he cut through the air, tucking and rolling mid leap to maximise his speed. No doubt about it, he had studied Levi and Mikasa's movements in minute detail.

His harpoons buried themselves deep within the Titan's flesh. With a cry of victory, Armin's blades sliced lethally into the creature's nape. Scalding blood rushed out, coating your comrade in the sticky heat.

"Shit Armin, I didn't know you could move like that!" Glancing over at you, he threw his head back and laughed, his hair dancing in the rush of air. "There's a lot you still don't know about me! Just cos you've known me for nearly ten years doesn't mean you know all my secrets."

"Have you many? Cos when I find them out I'm going to torture you with them, you know that right?"

It felt good to be able to joke with your old friend again. "Tell me one Armin. Just one."

Gliding towards you, he acquiesced. "OK- I still haven't seen a body of water larger than the river. Basically I still want to see the ocean, see it with my own eyes. Hear the sounds of the water."

"That's not a secret, everyone knows that! If you tell me a real secret I'll visit the ocean with you!"

Grabbing your hand, he shook it tightly, sealing the deal. "Once we get back to the Wall, ok?"

Armin led the way back to where he last saw his students. You struggled to keep up. Your gear felt heavier and heavier as your height dipped from lack of gas. You signalled Armin to stop as you landed inelegantly on another branch. "Piece of worthless junk. Now what do we do? This isn't like when we could carry each other as kids, the gear isn't built for two adults to use one."

"I'll go and grab the extra cyclinders, it's only a short bit away. Stay hidden, stay quiet and I'll be back soon." Slapping each other's hands, you nodded in agreement. "OK, hurry though, I want to get this shit done so we can start trying to reclaim those bodies."

Something thumped you on the side of the head as your friend moved away. It was a small notebook. Opening it, you were faced with endless notes about the ocean. Different titles headed every page. Sand. Salt. Shell-Fish. Plants. "Read that while you're waiting. I'll be fast!" You held the notebook up in response to his fading voice.

Armin pounced upon the battered crate, praying against all hope that at least two of the canisters were undamaged. His blonde locks fell messily into his eyes as he stowed away the two only working canisters that were left.

He worked quickly, aware of how much distance was between you both. For the first time in years, you were depending on HIM. Too many times as a young teenager, he had beaten himself up, unable to bear the fact that he was a burden, that he could do no right.

But now, the situation had changed. You were no longer kids. You had both matured into tougher, more experienced soldiers. A tiny smile danced upon his lips. "She wants to see the ocean with me…Then. I'll tell her then…"

Hoisting the canisters upon his shoulders, he began making his way back towards you.

Lost in his happy thoughts, he didn't notice how quiet it was, the lack of any sounds of wildlife. No birds chirruped in the trees. No animals scurried upon the ground below him.

As he neared the tree where he had left you, he noticed faint strands of steam, curling into nothingness in the air.

"O no…No. Shit!" He sped up, using his gas recklessly, propelling himself towards you as fast as he could. Sweat trickled down his face as his heart pumped furiously, filling his body with pure adrenaline…

He panicked, twisting this way and that in the light breeze, until he came across your supposed safe spot.

Armin felt bile rising in his throat as he saw splashes of blood upon the ground. Blood that wasn't steaming away.

And then he saw you.


	3. Chapter 3

He dropped like a rock, calling your name. Your body lay bloody and mangled. The blade clenched in your remaining hand was covered in filth. Your gear was beyond repair, your blade holder on your side was gone. Armin tried not to vomit as he realised he could see your organs. The lack of ribs and flesh in your side meant they were spilling free into the open air.

He knew there was no hope. From your left shoulder to your upper thigh was gone. Blood poured freely into the ground, watering the earth with crimson stickiness.

"Ar…min…Get away…More…Ti-" you struggled to warn him, to tell him.

"Shh, it's ok, you'll…you'll be fine. Just try and hold onto me. I'll…I'll bring you back to the Wall. We can make it!" His voice began to crack. You could see the lie written upon his face.

"...min… Go. Please…Survive…" Your voice became fainter. A mess of thick dark blood came spilling from your mouth as you struggled to breathe. Armin helped sit you up in an attempt to help you get oxygen. You moaned in agony as your organs shifted around, like loose jigsaw pieces. He gently draped his cloak over your ruined body.

Tears ran down his face as he watched you desperately trying to get air into your lungs. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Forgive me, please. I shouldn't have left you." Holding your hand, he could feel your pulse weaken.

He leaned forward, cradling your gore-stained head delicately. You felt a kiss being planted upon your hair, his hand stroking your cheek. You smiled at him wanly.

"Always…a sweetheart…Armin…must…go…more Titans…" You dissolved into a fit of coughing. The blood that flew from your mouth was almost black in colour. You knew your time was nearly up.

Armin was trembling, realising he didn't even need to say how he felt. He could see on your face. "Why? Why now? We could have done so much. I wanted to share the ocean with you…"

With great effort, you took hold of his collar and pulled him close to you. "Ar…min…I see the ocean…hear it…"

Choking back a sob, Armin kissed you, not caring about the coppery taste of blood. He never in his worst nightmares anticipated that your first kiss with him would also be your last. "What does it look like? Tell me. And we'll see it together someday, I swear. I'll find you."

"Blue…Sparkles…Beautiful…Armin…your eyes…I see it…in your eyes…"

Armin watched through his ocean eyes as you slipped away. He could feel the exact moment that your soul left your body. As your body slumped against him, the warmth ebbing away, he held you tightly weeping openly. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…I got you killed. I'm still a burden…I couldn't even protect you, of all people…"

A loud booming behind him crept closer and closer. He could feel the heat of the Titan as it opened its gigantic mouth. Flecks of spittle landed on his face. Kissing you again, he stared into your lifeless eyes, convincing himself he could see a spark of life.

As the Titan bore down on him, as the sunlight above was blotted out by lips, and teeth and heat, he pressed your foreheads together, his arms holding you tightly.

"Hey…I can hear the ocean too…"


	4. CRUCIAL INFORMATION FOR READERS! READ!

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ALL READERS-

I WILL BE DELETING THIS ACCOUNT IN APRIL

I WILL BE FOCUSING ON MY AO3 ACCOUNT, WHICH WILL HAVE ALL MY STORIES IN GREATER DETAIL.

I ALREADY HAVE RE-WRITTEN SOME OF THE TASTIER SMUT ON AO3, UNDER MY USERNAME HeichouHatesYou.

LINK CAN BE FOUND BELOW.

I WILL BE ADDING A CHAPTER TO EACH OF MY FICS HERE WITH THIS INFORMATION.

PLEASE CONTINUE TO READ AND COMMENT ON MY WORK ON AO3, AS THIS ACCOUNT HERE WILL SOON BE DELETED.

LINK TO AO3 ACCOUNT- /users/HeichouHatesYou/pseuds/HeichouHatesYou

THANK YOU!


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